Primary EHS Issue in Material Handling Design
- The safety of our client’s employees, contractors and visitors who are required to operate, service or be in proximity to the material handling systems we design and recommend;
- The protection of physical assets that are stored in, handled by, or connected to the material handling system;
- The conservation of energy and material resources consumed/used in the material handling system.
EHS Requirements as Design Criteria
Our project methodology identifies EHS requirements in context of the project. The EHS requirements become part of the Design Criteria developed in the conceptual design phase of the project. Using this approach EHS requirements have the same value and receive the same attention as other performance requirements of the material handling system. Solutions developed and selected must support the requirements.
The client must actively participate in the development of these criteria, sharing the history of EHS issues and solutions and the company’s EHS policy, standards and vision with the consultant.
Codes and Standards
As consultants we develop and implement the EHS requirements for material handling systems within the context of company and industry coders and standards. Where the client company codes and standards are insufficient or lacking we depend on the codes provided and standards that are followed by the material handling industry.
National and Local Codes and Standards
- BOCA
- OSHA
- MSHA
- NEMA
- NFPA
Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) Codes and Councils – partial list
- RMI -Rack Manufacture’s Institute
- CEMA – Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association
- AS/RS – Automated Storage and Retrieval Association
- AGVS – Automated Guided Vehicle Systems Association
- LODEM – The Loading Dock Equipment Manufacturers
- RPCPA -Reusable Plastic Container & Pallet Association
- ITA – The Industrial Truck Association
- APMHC – Association of Professional Material Handling Consultants
Specifications to Suppliers
EHS requirements are part of specification documents that are sent to material handling equipment suppliers who manufacture and install the material handling equipment.
Education and Training
Goods design can only provide good results when employees are trained to understand and safely perform the process of the material handling system.